Day 7 was the big day for history. We essentially spent the whole day in Munster. The town of Munster is one of the older towns in Germany so we got to enjoy a little bit of old story.
One of the churches we saw stood out to me in particular because of its story and architecture. The church itself was absolutely stunning and the had a beautiful service going on while we were observing it. As we were looking at it Enno told us about how the cages on the bell tower we used to shame those who defied the Roman Catholic Church. Once an opposer had been executed their remains would be hung in cages by the church. So the contrast between the dark past and the beautiful present was honestly kind of mind bending and I didn’t really know how to feel about it. A little bit later we visited the site at which an agreement was signed that ended the thirty years war in the early modern age. The building itself was extremely unassuming of the rich cultural past, but knowing the weight of the history was pretty cool. Overall the city of Munster is a must visit for any history buffs.
As for the sustainability aspects of the town, they didn’t have much that instantly jumped out at you. There was some surface levels aspects of sustainability like how port bags and wooden utensils were used to decrease plastic waste, but I think a more fun way the city was sustainable is in a fact we learned. After the Second World War Munster was bombed to pieces and the Germans needed a way to rebuild it for cheap. They ended up using the old bricks that were left in the rubble in order to save on budget and ensure the city keeps its historical feel. I’m not sure they were thinking or caring about how this was a sustainable move but nonetheless it’s a pretty cool way to keep the planet running just a little bit better. When compared to American cities where we typically clear all the rubble and build from scratch, the German way is certainly cheaper easier and better.
